Travis took his time in walking home that night. He had no real rush to get there, what would be waiting for him? Not something appealing or happy, no, nothing like that. Home was beginning to get darker. The night was beginning to get darker. He rubbed his hands together, trying to block the cold from entering his body. The rubbing didn't help much at all. With a sigh, he resorted to simply wrapping his jacket tighter around his cold frame. Strange, however, that he would be so cold in 80 degree weather.
When he reached home, he reluctantly took out his house key and slid it slowly into the lock of the wood door. After a few seconds of turning, it opened. He stepped in quietly, locking the door behind him. It was almost completely dark in the house. 'Good, maybe no one is home,' He thought to himself. Travis's relief-filled thoughts were interrupted by a loud crush and obscene cursing coming from the kitchen. He made a quick break for the stairs. If he could just run to his room and lock the door… "Where ya going, champy?" Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
He turned slowly. His cousin, Maurice, stood there. Maurice looked nothing like Travis. Travis had blonde hair; Maurice had black. Travis had brown eyes; Maurice had green. There was another thing that Maurice had that Travis didn't share. A drinking problem. A horrible one, one that he wasn't able to control. "Oh. Hi, Maur, I didn't know you were back. Where's…" "Your parents? They went out." Maurice shrugged and leaned against the wall, keeping his eyes glued on Travis's.
'If I can back up slowly… then take off, I can make it to my room…' Travis, without him knowing it, had started shaking. "Oh. Well, I have homework." He turned quickly and made a mad dash for his room. Not fast enough. Maurice had him by his ankle in no time. "What's your hurry, champy?"
Lily was on the phone right after she got home from the station. "I'm really worried about Travis, Robbie. I think something is seriously wrong with him. Did you see how he freaked out when that girl called?" "Yeah, it had to be Audrey. I mean, c'mon, ModAud? Friend who has been freaking out? It's so obvious. She has to know something…" Robbie paused. "Maybe we can trick him into talking." Silence on the other end. "Just listen. We can… wait, I have someone on my other line." He clicked the appropriate button and said, "Hello?" "Yeah, Robbie, it's me. Ray. We need to talk. I tried to call Travis. No answer…" Ray chirped worriedly into his cellphone. He was walking down the block, towards Travis's house. "So I'm at his house. I'm going to see what's up." Robbie made a wincing sound and went back to his other line. "Ray's at Travis's house." "What? We'd better get over there. And quick. Knowing Ray…" Lily didn't get a chance to finish. Robbie had turned off his phone, and was heading very quickly for the door.
"Thanks for hanging up on me, Rob." Ray rolled his eyes. He shoved his cellphone down into his pocket. A little voice inside of him said that this was a bad, bad idea. And another little voice was yelling, 'Do it! Do it!'. So there he was. Listening to little voices in his head and going off to 'rescue' his friend. Wonderful. With a sigh, he stopped in front of Travis's house. "It's now or never."
He walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang it again. No answer. Three combinations of ringing the door and knocking later, still no answer. He turned the knob… it was locked. Now it was time for Ray's favorite little magic trick. The whole, paperclip in the lock trick. It was successful, and in no time, Ray was mentally patting himself on the back and stepping inside the house. "So Boy Scouts was good for something." Glancing around, he called out, "Travis! Are you here?" All he got in reply was dead silence. "Creepy."
Ray raised an eyebrow. He was about to walk to the kitchen, when he heard a groan from upstairs. "Travis?" He called once more. And that was his cue to either: be the helpful, concerned friend that came to his best friend's rescue, or the normal coward who sent someone else in… oh well. Might as well come out the hero in this. He started for the stairs.
"Here goes nothing." Ray muttered under his breath.
When he reached home, he reluctantly took out his house key and slid it slowly into the lock of the wood door. After a few seconds of turning, it opened. He stepped in quietly, locking the door behind him. It was almost completely dark in the house. 'Good, maybe no one is home,' He thought to himself. Travis's relief-filled thoughts were interrupted by a loud crush and obscene cursing coming from the kitchen. He made a quick break for the stairs. If he could just run to his room and lock the door… "Where ya going, champy?" Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
He turned slowly. His cousin, Maurice, stood there. Maurice looked nothing like Travis. Travis had blonde hair; Maurice had black. Travis had brown eyes; Maurice had green. There was another thing that Maurice had that Travis didn't share. A drinking problem. A horrible one, one that he wasn't able to control. "Oh. Hi, Maur, I didn't know you were back. Where's…" "Your parents? They went out." Maurice shrugged and leaned against the wall, keeping his eyes glued on Travis's.
'If I can back up slowly… then take off, I can make it to my room…' Travis, without him knowing it, had started shaking. "Oh. Well, I have homework." He turned quickly and made a mad dash for his room. Not fast enough. Maurice had him by his ankle in no time. "What's your hurry, champy?"
Lily was on the phone right after she got home from the station. "I'm really worried about Travis, Robbie. I think something is seriously wrong with him. Did you see how he freaked out when that girl called?" "Yeah, it had to be Audrey. I mean, c'mon, ModAud? Friend who has been freaking out? It's so obvious. She has to know something…" Robbie paused. "Maybe we can trick him into talking." Silence on the other end. "Just listen. We can… wait, I have someone on my other line." He clicked the appropriate button and said, "Hello?" "Yeah, Robbie, it's me. Ray. We need to talk. I tried to call Travis. No answer…" Ray chirped worriedly into his cellphone. He was walking down the block, towards Travis's house. "So I'm at his house. I'm going to see what's up." Robbie made a wincing sound and went back to his other line. "Ray's at Travis's house." "What? We'd better get over there. And quick. Knowing Ray…" Lily didn't get a chance to finish. Robbie had turned off his phone, and was heading very quickly for the door.
"Thanks for hanging up on me, Rob." Ray rolled his eyes. He shoved his cellphone down into his pocket. A little voice inside of him said that this was a bad, bad idea. And another little voice was yelling, 'Do it! Do it!'. So there he was. Listening to little voices in his head and going off to 'rescue' his friend. Wonderful. With a sigh, he stopped in front of Travis's house. "It's now or never."
He walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang it again. No answer. Three combinations of ringing the door and knocking later, still no answer. He turned the knob… it was locked. Now it was time for Ray's favorite little magic trick. The whole, paperclip in the lock trick. It was successful, and in no time, Ray was mentally patting himself on the back and stepping inside the house. "So Boy Scouts was good for something." Glancing around, he called out, "Travis! Are you here?" All he got in reply was dead silence. "Creepy."
Ray raised an eyebrow. He was about to walk to the kitchen, when he heard a groan from upstairs. "Travis?" He called once more. And that was his cue to either: be the helpful, concerned friend that came to his best friend's rescue, or the normal coward who sent someone else in… oh well. Might as well come out the hero in this. He started for the stairs.
"Here goes nothing." Ray muttered under his breath.